This content requires Adobe Flash Player version
or later.
Either you do not have Adobe Flash Player installed,
or your version is too old,
or there is a problem with your Flash installation and we were unable to detect it.

n outdoor spaces from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Arch Cape, Or- egon, produce is growing and grill embers are glowing. Growing a garden and grilling its bounty have never been more popular.

For the first time since 1944, when

20 million “Victory” gardeners pro- duced 44 percent of the fresh vegeta- bles in the United States, food garden- ing is outdistancing flower gardening. In its latest survey of garden retailers, the National Gardening Association found that consumers’ spending for growing their own food hit $2.7 billion, versus $2.1 billion for flowers.

Barbecuing grill chefs are expand- ing their repertoire beyond grass-fed burgers and steaks. More vegetables and fruit are being grilled now than in the past, according to the latest annual sur- vey by leading grill manufacturer Weber. This all makes sense to Karen Adler and Judith Fertig, co-authors of The Gar- dener &#38; the Grill. They’ve observed that when the bounty of the garden meets the sizzle of the grill, delicious things hap- pen. “Natural sugars in vegetables and

fruits caramelize,” says Adler. “Essential oils in fresh herbs become more aro- matic. The colors of fruits and vegetables stay more vivid when grilled, rather than when cooked any other way.” “Grilling gives even familiar foods an exciting new makeover,” notes Fertig. For example, by cutting a head of cabbage into quarters, brushing each cut side with olive oil and then grilling and chopping, the backyard chef infus- es a grill flavor into a favorite coleslaw. Flatbreads, patted out from prepared whole-grain or gluten-free pizza dough, can be brushed with olive oil, grilled on both sides and then topped with flavor- ful garden goodies. Simple fruits like peaches and plums—simply sliced in half, pitted and grilled—yield fresh taste sensations, especially cradling a scoop of frozen yogurt. A quick foray to the garden or farmers’ market can provide just the right colorful, flavorful edge to any sum- mer barbecue.